steelman



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. STEELMAN.

HOT AIR FURNAGE.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-8heet 2.

L. STEELMAN.

HOT AIR FURNACE.

No. 597,091. Patented n. 11, 1 5/ illummlunmmzg llt 'IIIIIIl, i i

is nllllllll NM l VIII/(III 1 811 1 Lewis fifealnvaw/ a mv'e gam Za Z IUNITED STATES PATENT iiricn LElVIS STEELMAN, OF SALEM, NEW JERSEY,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN P. SHEPPARD, OF SAME PLACE.

HOT-AIR FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,091, dated January1 1, 1898.

Application filed November 23, 1896. Serial No. 613,215. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS STEELMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salem, in the county of Salem and State of New Jersey, havein vented a new and useful Hot- Air Furnace, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention aims to provide a hot-air furnace for heating air to beconveyed to points remote from the furnace for warming apartments orplaces in which it is not desirable to locate a stove or other form ofheater, and has for its objects to secure a positive circulation of airthrough the furnace, to secure a maximum amount of heating-surface, toprovide for moistening or medicating the air to meet certainrequirements, to insure a correct positioning of the draft-controllingdampers, and to utilize the natural currents for creating a forcedcurrent through the furnace, all as will appear more fully hereinafter.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the inventionreference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the followingdescription.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form,proportion, and the minor details of construction without departing fromthe principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to afull disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central sectionof a hot-air furnace embodying the vital features of this invention.Fig. 2 is a plan section on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plansection on the line Y Y of Fig. 1. Fig. l is a horizontal section on theline Z Z of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view in elevation of a combinedsmoke and air inlet pipe. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the collector forcatching and directing a portion of the ascending current into theannular space formed between the inner and outer smoke-drums. Fig. 7 isa section on the line W 1V of Fig. 8, showing a damper and the means foroperating and holding it in an adjusted position. Fig. 8 is a front Viewof the parts illustrated in Fig.

7. Fig. 9 is a section on the line V V of Fig.- 1, looking in thedirection of the arrow.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in the several views of the accompanyingdrawings by the same reference-characters. The numeral 1 designates thecasingwhich incloses the vital parts of the furnace and to the upperportion of which are provided a series of thimbles or collars 2 forattachment therewith of the pipes for conveying the heated air to therequired point of use. The fire-pot 3, which may be of ordinaryconstruction, has a surrounding space 4, which is subdivided by ahorizontal diaphragm 5 into upper and lower spaces, the latter being adead-air space to prevent the loss of heat by radiation and surroundingthe ash-pit 6. A smoke-drum 7 is located centrally over the fire-pot andis closed at its upper end and sides and'open at its lower end and hasconnection with a smoke-ring 8 at its top by means of a pipe 9. Anannular or cylindrical smoke-drum 1O surrounds the smokedrum 7 and isclosed at its sides and top and opens at its lower end into the fire-potand has connection at its top with the smokering 8 by means of shortvertical pipes 11. An annular space 12 is formed between the inner andouter smoke-drums and is closed at its lower end and open at its top endand is provided at its lower end with a ring or bed 13, of porcelain,earthenware, or other refractory material, which is hollow or concave inits top side to form a trough to receive a suitable liquid which isvaporized and medicates or renders the air humid for any purposerequired. The smoke, gases, and products of combustion escape from thefire-pot into the drums 7 and 10 and pass therefrom to the smoke-ring bythe pipes 9 and 11, and pass thence to a stack or chimney by means of asmoke-pipe 14 in the usual manner.

A damper 15 is located in the upper portion of the casing 1 to controlthe hot air in its passage to the thimbles or collars 2 and con sists ofsimilar plates having corresponding openings, one of the plates beingmovable and provided with an operating-handle 16, by

means of which it can be turned so as to regulate the size of theopenings or completely shut off the hot air from the thimbles 2 and thepipes connected therewith. The lower portion of the hot-air space atreceives a supply of water for moistening the air prior to its beingheated and conveyed to the point of use, said water being suppliedthereto at their lower ends with the upper portion of the fire-pot 3,and an air-pipe 20 connects with each a short distance from thefire-pot. A fan-case 21 is provided at the juncture of l the air andsmoke pipes 20 and 19 and is supplied with a fan 22 of ordinaryconstruction, the latter being disposed'so thata wing projects acrossthe smoke-pipe 19 and a wing at a diametrically opposite point extendsacross the air-pipe, which is of advantage to insure a rotation of thefan by the ascending current of hot air or products of combustion fromthe fire-pot, and as the fan rotates it draws in a supply of air througha thimble or opening 23 and forces a portion thereof down through theair-pipe 20 and into the airspace 4c. Vhile the horizontal wings of afan extend across the smoke and air pipes 19 and 20, respectively, thevertical wings separate the two pipes and prevent the smoke and gasesfrom being drawn or escapinginto the air-pipe 20. This disposition ofthe wings with respect to the pipes 19 and 20 is clearly indicated inFig. 5. Obviously some of the fresh air entering through the opening 23will escape through the pipe 19 along with the smoke, gases, and hotair, but a sufflcient quantity will be forced through the pipe 20 intothe'space at for all practical purposes. For factories or heating largeplaces air may be forced into the air-space 4 by means of a fan-blower24, and in order to prevent any back draft through the pipes 20 thelatter will be supplied with dampers 25, which are closed when thefan-blower 24. is in operation, but which are open when the fan 24 isnot in operation.

A collector 26 is located in the space formed between the casing 1 andouter wall or shell of the drum 10, and consists of a hood 27 and ashort length of pipe 28, the latter extending through the walls orshells comprising the smoke-drum 10 and connecting the annular space 12with the space exterior to the drum 10, thereby creating a circulationthrough the said space 12. These collectors 26 will be provided in anyrequired number according to the size and capacity of the furnace andwill be disposed at proper intervals around the smoke-drum 10. The hoods27 intercept a portion of the ascending current of air and the spacesupon opposite sides of the partition 31, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1.

A damper 25 is located in the smoke-pipe let and is held in either anopen or closed position by spring-stops 32, which are located exteriorto the pipe and are secured to the latter at one end and have, theirfree end bent and operating loosely through openingsin the side of thepipe to which the spring-stops are attached. These spring-stops areprovided in pairs and are located at diametrically opposite points, soas to engage with opposite sides of the damper and holdthe latter ineitherposition. Under normal conditions the active or bent ends of thespring-stops are withdrawn from the path of the damper and are pressedinward by a cross-bar 33, secured to the stem 34:, provided foroperating the damper. to the damper reaching an open or a closedposition the bar 33 will engage with the spring stops 32 and depress thelatter so as to project theiractive ends across the path of the damper,thereby limiting the movement of the latter when it reaches the properposition.

A tank 35 is located exterior to the furnace. and a pipe 36 leadstherefrom into the annular space 12 and is provided in its length with aregulating-valve 37 for controlling the passage of the fluid from thetank through the pipe into the space 12. If it be required to render theair humid simply, the fluid is water; but if it be required to medicatethe air any suitable solution may be placed in the tank, and the valve37 being regulated the solution will escape in a proper quantity intothe space onto the bed 13 and being vap orized by the heat willcommingle with the hot air and be conveyed to the required point. asWill be readily understood,

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed-as new is- 1. In ahot-air furnace, the combination of the casing and fire-pot arranged toform an air space between them, a horizontal diaphragm subdividing theair-space, the lower being a dead-air space surrounding the ash-pit,means for supplying a fluid to the lower portion of the upper air-space,and a fan for projecting a currentof air into the said upper air-spaceto be heated and take up a proportion of the fluid in the form of vapor,substantially as set forth.

2. In a hot-air furnace, the combination of a'smokening, inner and outerdrums disposed to form a space between them and having in- The parts areso disposed that prior dependent connection with the said smokering, anannular bed of refractory material in the lower portion of the spacebetween the aforesaid drums and made hollow or concave in its top side,and a valve-controlled pipe for supplying a fluid to the concave side ofthe said bed, whereby the said fluid is vaporized, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

3. In, a hot-air furnace having a hot-air space surrounding thefire-pot, the combination of a smoke-pipe communicating with thefire-pot, an air-pipe extending into the said hot-air space, and a fanat the juncture of the air-pipe with the smoke-pipe for drawing in asupply of fresh airand forcing it into the aforesaid hot-air space,substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a hot-air furnace having an air-space surrounding the fire-pot,the combination of a smoke-pipe communicating with the firepot, anair-pipe in communication with the smoke-pipe and extending into theaforesaid air-space, and a fan located at the juncture of the air-pipewith the smoke-pipe and operated automatically by the ascending currentof smoke, gases or hot air and forcinga supply of fresh airinto the saidairspace, substantially as set forth.

5. In a hot-air furnace, the combination of a pipe, a damper locatedtherein, springactuated stops placed at diametrically opposite pointsand adapted to operate at right angles to the line of motion of thedamper and normally held out of its path, and abar attached to androtatable with the damper-operating stem and adapted to engage with andpress upon the stops and project them across the path of the damper tolimit its movement, substantially as set forth.

(3. In a hot-air furnace, the combination of inner and outer drumsinclosing a hot-air space between them, and a collector consisting of ahood projecting across the space exterior to the outer drum, and a pipeextending across the space between the walls of the outer drum andcommunicating with the space formed between the inner and outer drums,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

'7. In a hot-airfurnace, the combination of a casing, a fire-pot, innerand outer drums located above the fire-pot and inolosing a space whichis closed at its lower end, and a series of collectors located in thespace formed between the outer drum and casing and extending through theouter drum and communicating with the space formed between the twodrums, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a hot-air furnace, the combination of inner and outer smoke-drumsinclosing a space between them, a smoke-ring in communication with eachof the said drums, smokepipes between the fire-pot and smoke-ring,air-pipes in communication with the smokepipes and extending into thehot-air space surrounding the fire-pot, and fans located at the junctureof the said air-pipes with the smoke pipes and automatically actuated bythe ascending current of smoke, gases or hot air to draw in a supply ofair and force the same into the space exterior to the fire-pot,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS STEELMAN.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN H. Steenns, WM. B. Henson.

